Faults:

When I purchased this used motorcycle, the bike was very hard to start and was a little down on power. The exhaust system got very hot and partly melted the rear fender. Turns out the engine's valves were adjusted too tight and were leaking because they were not fully closing.

I suspect a previous owner attempted to adjust the valves himself and failed. The 4 valves require shims. Ideally you need a $200 shim kit, so all sizes are available. I suspect that owner didn't have the correct shims and made an error. It looks as if he left the bike parked for several years because it wouldn't start, then sold it.

It's possible the valve seats are receding, in which case the cylinder head will need a rebuild. But after 2000 km there's no evidence of recession.

Otherwise the bike has been free of trouble.

General Comments:

This motorcycle has been in production for about 35 years. Parts, accessories and upgrades are plentiful and easy to buy. Unlike many other older bikes, everything you need is available.

There's lots on information and advice available online, too.

This bike is an excellent value. There's many good examples available used, and I found prices were about half that of competing dual-purpose bikes like the Suzuki DR650.

This bike can do everything quite well. It's very easy and friendly for road use. The generous torque and easy clutch make riding a breeze. You sit upright, comfortably, and the handling is easy and predictable. I'm about 6 ft tall, 240 lbs and it fits me like a glove.

The brakes are good enough for modest speeds. The faring provides some wind protection. It's comfortable up to about 90 km/h Above that, wind buffeting tends to push the bike around.

Off road, it feels like a jumbo sized dirt bike, about 25% bigger, wider and heavier than a typical dirt bike. But it's very comfortable and is just fine for all kinds of rough trails at modest speeds. But the smoother the trail the better. It handles reasonably well. It's easy to steer around obstacles.

Unfortunately the transmission is only 5 gears. First gear is relatively low. Second gear is a big jump. Gears 2,3,and 4 are relatively closely spaced then 5th gear is tall. So there isn't enough gear ratios to suit all conditions. The front drive chain sprocket is easily changed.

The stock sprocket is 15 tooth, and a compromise that favors street use. My bike has a 16 tooth sprocket, which is too tall for off road and urban driving.

I think a 13 or 14 tooth sprocket is essential for city or off road.

There's 3 generations of KLR650. My bike is a Gen 1, the earliest design, but many people prefer it over the later Gen 2 and 3 bikes. The Gen 1 is slightly lighter and generally more dirt - oriented. It has a magneto ignition, meaning it can be push started, even if your battery is dead, unlike later models.

My bike was modified by a previous owner. The suspension was upgraded front and rear with firmer springs and firmer damping. It's very controlled and confident going over rough terrain. It has the Thermo-Bob device, which is a thermostat and coolant bypass, allowing for faster warm up. There's an aftermarket digital instrument display that's lighter than stock but does many more functions. The stock 14 lb muffler has been replaced with a free flowing glass-pack aluminum muffler, weighing about 3 lbs. It's too loud so I installed a simple honeycomb style silencer that fits inside the pipe upstream of the muffler. The sound level is tolerable. The air filter box has been opened up and a free flowing air filter added. I installed a jet kit to adjust the carburetor mixture. It's added noticeable extra power.

The previous owner installed a better seat, heated grips and z big aluminum skid plate. The original handlebars were uncomfortable, so I added a better handlebar.

Finally the bike has a 12 volt power outlet, so I can either light my cigarettes or charge my phone.

Overall, I really like the bike. It's very comfortable, pleasant and easy to ride. It can do everything moderately well. It's at its best riding the back roads and smoother trails across the country. The price was a bargain, and I love the reassurance of great parts support.

The biggest limitation is the bike's extra large size. It's big to provide space for a passenger. It's good for extra large people like me. But I suggest smaller people might find it a bit too big and cumbersome.

Faults:

Nothing that I didn't create myself, and was no fault of the motorcycle. I removed the rear fender and inadvertently grounded a tail light wire, and it caused the lighting fuses to burn out.

General Comments:

Not fast, not too slow, not too powerful, but yet not lacking either. In other words, you won't get many speeding tickets unless you're trying hard, and getting the front wheel off the ground doesn't usually happen by accident.

The bike is ultra-reliable, very inexpensive to operate... just hop on, take off and keep smiling as it whizzes you around town or on a long road trip.

Faults:

Nothing went wrong.

General Comments:

It did everything OK, but after big engined bikes it was boring - too slow. Nearly put me off bikes - a Buell brought me back to my senses